Examining the effect of maintenance work on employees’ physical and mental health, as well as their overall well-being, in industrial settings
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Port Harcourt, East/West Road, PMB 5323, Choba, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Research Article
Global Journal of Engineering and Technology Advances, 2024, 19(03), 131–142.
Article DOI: 10.30574/gjeta.2024.19.3.0108
Publication history:
Received on 18 May 2024; revised on 24 June 2024; accepted on 27 June 2024
Abstract:
This study examines the impact of maintenance work on the physical, mental health, and overall well-being (PMHOW) of employees in some industry types in South Eastern Nigeria. The research aims to enhance occupational health standards and support interventions for industrial maintenance workers. It identifies the stressors that maintenance workers face (physical work demands, high-pressure work environment, shift work and irregular work hours, lack of recognition and support, exposure to hazardous conditions, job complexity and technical challenges, and; monotony and repetitive tasks), these stressors affect employees’ health and well-being through musculoskeletal disorders, mental fatigue, increased risk of accidents, stress, anxiety, and burnout to mention but a few, it proposes strategies for mitigating them which include ergonomic practices, realistic workloads, supportive work culture, adequate staffing etc. Employee Satisfaction Survey was conducted across targeted industries. Based on survey results, employees' perceptions of variances in work characteristics reveal a mix of stable and fluctuating trends. This information helped identify which work characteristics were consistently experienced and which ones vary significantly among employees. Euclidean Distance assessment carried out also aided in identifying areas of intervention by focusing on specific groups of related work characteristics to enhance the work environment and promote better health outcomes. To enhance the mental and physical well-being of maintenance workers, organizations should implement comprehensive strategies that are tailored to the unique stressors and challenges of their work. This approach will not only boost job satisfaction but also contribute to a more efficient and healthier workforce.
Keywords:
Employee satisfaction survey; Physical and mental health; Maintenance work characteristics; Employee satisfaction score; Organizational factor analysis; Euclidean similarity assessment.
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Copyright © 2024 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0